Green Bay injury update: 4 Packers listed as questionable vs Chicago Bears

The Green Bay Packers released their final injury report of Week 2 on Friday as the team gets to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Overall, the injury news should be looked at as positive, as no Packers were listed as doubtful.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), presumed right tackle Elgton Jenkins (knee, pectoral), left guard Jon Runyan (concussion) and receiver Allen Lazard (ankle) were all listed as questionable on the injury report. Lazard missed Week 1 when he was listed by the team as doubtful, while Bakhtiari and Jenkins missed action while being listed as questionable.

Jenkins and Lazard practiced all week, including at least some team snaps, despite being limited for most of the week. Jenkins was officially listed as a full participant on Friday. It is assumed that Jenkins would play right tackle, where he has been working out since being activated off of the physically unable to perform list, though, he does also have experience at left tackle if Bakhtiari can’t go.

Bakhtiari did not practice on Thursday at all, but head coach Matt LaFleur stated that he hasn’t faced a setback in his knee recovery and that the plan for Bakhtiari moving forward is to practice one day off and one day on, even when he’s healthy enough to suit up for games. If Bakhtiari and Jenkins can’t go, Yosh Nijman (left tackle) and Royce Newman (right tackle) will earn their second consecutive bookend starts to begin the season. When the tackles are healthy, there’s a good chance that Newman kicks back inside to right guard, where he started as a rookie in 2021.

Runyan is still working through the league’s concussion protocol but must have a chance to play against the Bears if the team listed him as limited. Runyan was replaced by rookie fourth-round pick Zach Tom when he left Week 1 with an injury. With 11 offensive linemen on the active roster following the promotion of undrafted rookie Caleb Jones from the practice squad, the Packers can still suit up eight linemen against Chicago if Bakhtiari, Jenkins and Runyan all are held out.

Offensive lineman Jake Hanson (shoulder), cornerback Keisean Nixon (shoulder) and inside linebacker Quay Walker (shoulder) were not given injury statuses for Sunday and have been full participants in practice all week. Hanson has been starting at right guard with Newman pushed outside to right tackle. Nixon is a key contributor on special teams as a punt gunner and a punt return vice. He was injured on his single play of defensive football last week, the Packers’ only snap in dime personnel.

Walker started at inside linebacker in his first NFL game and contributed on punt protection as the team’s right tackle. When Walker left the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a shoulder injury, he was replaced on the punt team by fellow starting inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. With backup inside linebacker and punt team left guard Krys Barnes now on injured reserve, numbers were starting to get thin on the punt protection unit.

Only one player on the Bears’ roster was limited or held out of practice on Friday: rookie receiver Velus Jones. Jones, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, did not play in Week 1 and has not practiced since being listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Officially, he is listed as doubtful.